Coordinating Conjunction

Overview

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. These conjunctions are crucial for building more complex and nuanced sentences.

Key Concepts

The most common coordinating conjunctions are often remembered by the acronym FANBOYS:

• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

How They Work

Coordinating conjunctions link items that have the same grammatical function:

• Word to Word: apples and oranges
• Phrase to Phrase: in the house or in the yard
• Clause to Clause: She studied hard, but she failed the test.

Deep Dive

When joining two independent clauses (clauses that can stand alone as sentences), a comma is typically placed before the coordinating conjunction.

Example: The sun was shining, and the birds were singing.

However, if the clauses are very short and closely related, the comma may be omitted.

Applications

Coordinating conjunctions are used to:

• Show addition (and)
• Show contrast (but, yet)
• Show choice (or)
• Show reason (for)
• Show result (so)
• Show negative alternatives (nor)

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common mistake is using a coordinating conjunction to join clauses of unequal rank, which can lead to awkward sentence structure.

Incorrect: He went to the store, and bought milk. (The second part is not an independent clause.)

Correct: He went to the store and bought milk. (Joining two verbs)

Correct: He went to the store, and he bought milk. (Joining two independent clauses)

FAQs

What is the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions?

Coordinating conjunctions link equal elements, while subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause to a dependent clause, showing a relationship of dependence.

Can a sentence start with a coordinating conjunction?

While traditionally discouraged, starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is acceptable, especially in informal writing or for emphasis.